Russell Hantz lets loose on stunning Survivor 50 casting

Russell Hantz is one of the most notorious players in Survivor history. His playstyle was ruthless and his personailty agressive and cocky. He strategically dominated Survivor: Samoa (19) and Survivor: Heroes Versus Villains (20), masterfully manipulating people on his way to the final tribal council.

Unfortunately, his social game left a lot to be desired and cost him a chance at the million each time. He returned for Survivor: Redemption Island (22) and a season of Australian Survivor: Champions versus Contenders but was voted out second in each.

Russell is an incredibly polarizing figure. He was the main focal point narratively on both his main seasons, breaking confessional records. However, this prominence and strong personality left him either loved or hated in the fans' eyes. Either way, he evoked strong reactions out of the viewers. Hearing that Survivor 50 was focusing on some old school players, it seemed like a no-brainer that Hantz would get a casting call. However, he has some strong opinions on that as well.

Russell Hantz makes his feelings on casting well known

With Season 50 being an all-star season, many former castaways have been coming forward expressing their thoughts and feelings about casting, leaking whether they made it or not. Players such as Carolyn Wiger, Parvati Shallow, Benjamin "Coach" Wade, and Spencer Bledsoe have chimed in, along with a plethora of others. Never one to miss the limelight, Russell Hantz has jumped into the fray now too.

Ever since his stint on Survivor, Russell has made headlines. He has shared his feelings on the direction the show has taken, both on X and on podcasts and videos. He has also shared his political views, which has often ruffled the feathers of some Survivor fans and castmates.

Russell has taken to X again, this time to discuss the possibility of his casting. It is unclear whether he was called for season 50 or not, but what is pretty clear is that he will not be participating in the all-star milestone season.

It seems clear that Russell is referencing things like the diversity campaign in casting with these tweets, taking aim at a hot-button political phrase in diversity, equity, and inclusion. He further makes his feelings known here with his replies and retweets, evidently implying the show has gone downhill since he was on. He continued to take shots at the show producers on April 1.

Russell meant this post as an April Fools' joke. However, the key point here is his reference to "merit", a popular reference when discussing DEI initiatives. While his political opinions have no bearing on whether he would be good for the season or should be cast, is does point to his opinions of the show itself.

Reacting to Russell's thoughts

Russell is evidently unimpressed with the way the show has been casting and produced lately. Besides the evidenced tweets, Russell has been vocal for a while about the show and whether it is catering to fans or to what he considers woke ideology.

While personal opinions on his stance do not really matter, what does matter is that he is unhappy with what is happening and does not want to be involved. Whether he would change his stance if he was offered a spot or not remains to be seen, but it appears he would only be on the show if they change how they approach the game.

Based on recent history, it does not seem as though Survivor plans to alter their direction. Therefore, it is highly unlikely we will see Russell Hantz appear on our television screens on a season, let alone Survivor 50, any time soon. Some may be overjoyed, others infuriated. One thing is for sure, though: Russell brings ratings and viewers and gets people talking. A character like that is tailor-made for reality television, and it is a surprise to see him not included in the iconic season.